One of the world's largest retail groups has this week announced that it has begun work on phasing out all Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) from its packaging and merchandise.

Sears Holdings, the parent company of US chains Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and Co, said that it aimed to identify sustainable alternatives to PVC, many varieties of which have been found to pose health and environmental risks through their manufacture, use and disposal.

The company published a new policy document that states that it will encourage suppliers to reduce or eliminate their use of PVC in merchandise and packaging and "show preference for PVC-free materials that do not contain highly hazardous chemicals and set a long-term goal of sourcing bio-based polymers that are sustainably sourced, have higher recycled content, and can be reused, recycled, or composted".

The company said that it would also support the Society of the Plastics Industry labeling system on private label merchandise packaging as part of an initiative to make it easier for consumers to consider the impact of packaging when making purchasing decisions.

The move follows similar commitments to phase out PVC use from US retail giants Target and Wal-Mart.